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One of my favorite roads to drive back home is Alberta Highway 22. I was looking this up yesterday after reading this thread. I discovered that at some point in the last few years they named it The Cowboy Trail. There are plenty of beautiful places along this road. They have created a website also that you can look at if you want. Just look up thecowboytrail.com. Its been a few years since I have driven along this road but may have to go that way this summer when we go up to visit family.

We rode Hwy 40 from Heber to Duchesne, and then took Wolf Creek Pass back (Tabiona to Francis/Kamas).

Wolf Creek Pass is one of the underrated roads in Utah. It is beautiful up there, and the road is a lot of fun.

Last edited by chrisrenrut; 06-02-2013 at 12:52 PM.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

Utah SR 12 from Torrey to Panguitch is an 122 mile incredible drive. The Hogback between Boulder and Escalante is probably my favorite stretch of road. Ever. The photo is a view of the road from the air:

It's a great drive, but if you want to have a lot of fun, get a 4WD vehicle so you can take SR 12 from Boulder to Escalante, then go back to Boulder via Hell's Backbone road. That'll get your blood pumpin'.

This video is SR 12 from Bryce Canyon to Boulder. It's worth the 15 minutes it takes to watch.

HWY 212 from WY to Red Lodge, MT. Pictures and words can't do this road justice. The top of the pass is just shy of 11,000 feet in elevation.image.jpg

Next up, Waterton Park in Canada, on the way to Banff, Lake Louis, and possibly Jasper, dodging thunderstorms along the way.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

One of my favorite roads to drive back home is Alberta Highway 22. I was looking this up yesterday after reading this thread. I discovered that at some point in the last few years they named it The Cowboy Trail. There are plenty of beautiful places along this road. They have created a website also that you can look at if you want. Just look up thecowboytrail.com. Its been a few years since I have driven along this road but may have to go that way this summer when we go up to visit family.

We ended up taking part of The Cowboy Trail today. We didn't plan on it, we wanted to take Alberta 40 from Hwy 3 to Canmore, but we found out when we got there that it is a dirt road (why would Alberta number a dirt road!?!) The Cowboy Trail was ok, but a lot of it was straight through farmland, not the most fun on motorcycles.

Then, we got to Black Diamond and had to turn east because a couple of bridges were out from the recent flooding. So we got to see Calgary. We finally made it to Canmore/Banff. Words cannot do the beauty of this place justice.
This is from the patio of our room:image.jpg

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

I'm in. Just bought a motorcycle at the end of last week. It's a little Suzuki DR200 - perfect for someone like me who just wants to ride to work but also be able to do an occasional dirt road or easy trail.Pine Grove Ghost Town (July 2013) (15).jpg

On July 24, my kids and I visited a ghost town in the Wah Wah Mountains a little southwest of Milford. There are about 4 or 5 buildings still standing and several mine buildings (the shafts seem to be all filled in, which is good since I was there with kids).
It was an oddly humid afternoon and eerily quiet.

Below is a pic of my brother near the overlook just outside of Escalante.

Also, if you are in the area, a hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls is a must.

My wife's family had property on the north end of Boulder, and we'd go down there several times a year. Burr Trail, Hogs Back, and Lower Calf Creek falls were my favorites. Check out Hell's Backbone trail as well..

We are on a weekend getaway at Brian Head. Today we decided to drive Hwy 12 in the car. The rain may limit what we can do, but my wife has never been on the road before.

We stopped at the M Cafe in Panguitch for breakfast. While there, some motorcycle riders stopped in. They had Bandidos on their jackets. I looked it up, mostly because I thought they had misspelled Banditos. Turns out they are part of a motorcycle gang that call themselves 1%'ers, and the FBI classifies as organized crime.

We are on a weekend getaway at Brian Head. Today we decided to drive Hwy 12 in the car. The rain may limit what we can do, but my wife has never been on the road before.

We stopped at the M Cafe in Panguitch for breakfast. While there, some motorcycle riders stopped in. They had Bandidos on their jackets. I looked it up, mostly because I thought they had misspelled Banditos. Turns out they are part of a motorcycle gang that call themselves 1%'ers, and the FBI classifies as organized crime.

I stopped and talked to them briefly. They weren't too friendly, but that may have been more about being wet and cold than anything.

They are not going to be friendly. They are on their way to their National run which is in Utah this year. Outlaw motorcycle club members might be very angry with you for taking their picture (it's a good thing they didn't see you do that).

One of my best friends from High School is a Hells Angel (He's currently back in prison). They don't get along with the Bandidos well. I have spent some time around 1%ers and the rules they adhere to about respect are rigid... and being naive about the rules doesn't necessarily get you off the hook.

We spent last weekend in Southern Utah. I was a little disappointed that the temperature in St George was about the same as SLC, but we had a good, relaxing time.

We had all day Sunday to come back, so we decided to take the backroads home. We took 14 from Cedar City to Hwy 89, and then up to 12. We took 12 to Torrey (what a great road). We jaunted over to Loa, and then took 72/10 up to Price. Then Price back to Centerville on 6 and I-15.

It took us about 8 hours. It was a partly cloudy day, and we stopped a few places along the way to take in the scenery. It was a great drive to appreciate the diverstiy of landscape in utah.

State Road 72 from Loa to I-70 was an interesting road I had never been on before. There was a "scenic overlook" or "parking area" nearly every mile, and most had us scratching our head over what was scenic, or why anyone would need to park. It also had a bunch of named features that we couldn't figure out. We saw signs like Willow Springs and Frying Pan Flat, and we could never really figure out what feature within our sight was being named.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

image.jpgOn motorcycle trip in Colorado this weekend. This is Independence Pass, between Leadville and Aspen (where the beer flows like wine). The road at the top of the pass is 12,095 feet in elevation.

Last edited by chrisrenrut; 06-07-2014 at 11:33 PM.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

We're back in Colorado for more motorcycle riding. We went from Moab to Ouray, via Naturita. I had never been on that road before, it was fun and had nice and varied scenery. Coming into Ridgeway and Ouray, the snow capped peaks were majestic. I couldn't get pictures very well at 60 mph.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

Highway 64 in New Mexico between Taos and Chama. Great road, fast sweeping turns, and no one around. Beautiful forest, with no cabins or development at all. This is a stop towards the top, looking at a the Brazos Cliffs. image.jpg

View of Mt Uncompagre from just below Slumgullion pass (who comes up with these names?). Just south of Lake City on Colorado state road 149.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

Great Pictures, looks like an outstanding time on your bike. There is nothing like riding... when you are in a car, you're in the car. When you are riding... you are in that environment. If it's raining you are wet, if it's hot you are sweating, and when it's beautiful... it's all around you. It reminds you that you are alive.

Decided to ride some new roads this weekend. We got a hotel in Cedar City, and gave ourselves all day to get there. We took hwy 6 from Santaquin to Delta. Then hwy 50 across the Great Basin to Great Basin National Park. Just outside of The small town of Hinkley, there is a sign that says No Services for 89 Miles. It’s a stark landscape, but still interesting with dry lakebeds and desert mountain ranges.

Great Basin NP is basically a mountain oasis in the desert. The drive to Wheeler peak goes from ~5,000 to ~10,000 in elevation. There was still a lot of snow up there, which made for a challenging hike, but very cool scenery.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

Great Basin NP is basically a mountain oasis in the desert. The drive to Wheeler peak goes from ~5,000 to ~10,000 in elevation. There was still a lot of snow up there, which made for a challenging hike, but very cool scenery.

Wheeler Peak was the windiest hike I ever did. Felt like it was going to knock me right off the ridge.

This has to be one of the less visited national parks, being so remote. Still, on this holiday weekend, the parking lot was full, and they cave tours were all booked. Still, I’m sure the crowds were nothing compared to Zion, Bryce, or Arches this weekend. 96BDCBBE-5154-4C0C-A176-737E56A03330.jpg

We then took the back roads to Milford, Minersville, and Cedar City. Still trying to decide our route home tomorrow.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti

This has to be one of the less visited national parks, being so remote. Still, on this holiday weekend, the parking lot was full, and they cave tours were all booked. Still, I’m sure the crowds were nothing compared to Zion, Bryce, or Arches this weekend. 96BDCBBE-5154-4C0C-A176-737E56A03330.jpg

We then took the back roads to Milford, Minersville, and Cedar City. Still trying to decide our route home tomorrow.

Love wheeler peak (I believe I hiked it when Sancho did). But look out for skunks! They got one of us.

Decided to ride some new roads this weekend. We got a hotel in Cedar City, and gave ourselves all day to get there. We took hwy 6 from Santaquin to Delta. Then hwy 50 across the Great Basin to Great Basin National Park. Just outside of The small town of Hinkley, there is a sign that says No Services for 89 Miles. It’s a stark landscape, but still interesting with dry lakebeds and desert mountain ranges.

Great Basin NP is basically a mountain oasis in the desert. The drive to Wheeler peak goes from ~5,000 to ~10,000 in elevation. There was still a lot of snow up there, which made for a challenging hike, but very cool scenery.

Decided to ride some new roads this weekend. We got a hotel in Cedar City, and gave ourselves all day to get there. We took hwy 6 from Santaquin to Delta. Then hwy 50 across the Great Basin to Great Basin National Park. Just outside of The small town of Hinkley, there is a sign that says No Services for 89 Miles. It’s a stark landscape, but still interesting with dry lakebeds and desert mountain ranges.

Great Basin NP is basically a mountain oasis in the desert. The drive to Wheeler peak goes from ~5,000 to ~10,000 in elevation. There was still a lot of snow up there, which made for a challenging hike, but very cool scenery.

Gorgeous. But I don't think I want to see any snow for awhile.

“Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman

"You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb

it's not easy getting there, but the effort can be worth it to see some of the scenery and ride some of the roads in northeast Wyoming and western South Dakota. We just finished a 4 day ride. Our time was limited due to my brother not having much time off available.

The Bighorn mountains east of Yellowstone were a welcome site after crossing the high desert from Lander to Worland. The Cloud Peak Skyway is a classic high mountain pass road. It's a nice diversion prior to about 70 more miles of high desert on the way to Devil's Tower.

The Black Hills of South Dakota are amazing. Great scenery, history, and windy roads. Spearfish Canyon to Deadwood was a treat. Deadwood is interesting. It is the only place where casino gambling is legal outside of Nevada, Atlantic City, Indian reservations, and riverboats. The history is interesting, but everything else has turned pretty touristy.

From Deadwood, we headed south to Mt Rushmore. This was the ultimate destination, and it did not disappoint. Huge crowds, but they do a good job of managing traffic and accommodating everyone. The story of how it was created is well captured in the museum and theater. It was awe inspiring.

Leaving Mt Rushmore, we continued south on a road that looked like a scribble on the map. It had loops in it, which I couldn't understand until we experienced them, a 270 degree switchback that bridged over itself. The road went through Custer State Park, and on to Hot Springs. Just a beautiful, fun to ride 100 mile stretch of road. There are lots of things to see and to such as caves, lookout points, lakes, etc. But we wanted to make it to Casper, so Mt Rushmore was our only stop. No sightings of Rocky Raccoon, or McGill/Lil/Nancy.

After Hot Springs, it was back to grasslands and high desert. We hit a huge thunder cell 10 miles east of Casper. The rain and wind was so heavy, we pulled off the freeway and stopped for 20 minutes. A lot of other cars stopped too. Lightning was all around us, the kind you see, hear, and feel at the same time. Very scary, but we got through.

I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent." Demetri Marti